The Latin America Poker Tour officially kicked off yesterday with it first event being held in beautiful Rio de Janeiro. Of course, I was hoping to be part of team covering this inaugural event but the logistics didn't come about and second-hand reporting from the frozen north will have to suffice till another call comes my way.

Without further adieu here's a short media release from LAPT.com and the PokerStarsBlog as 103 players are returning today for Day 2 of the $2,500 buy-in event:

Rio de Janeiro - May 2, 2008: PokerStars,net, the world's largest online poker site, today welcomed hundreds of poker players and media from around the world to the first Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) tournament in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil .

The $2,500 No Limit Hold'em tournament already looks set to sell out and promises to be an unforgettable experience for the expected 300 players. The total prize pool will reach $750k not to mention a big pay-day for the first-place finisher. The three-day tournament runs May 3-5.

"I am as passionate about the LAPT as Latin Americans are about life," said LAPT President Glenn Cadematori. "Poker is exploding in Latin America and the game is more than ready for its own major poker tour. It's one of the fastest-growing poker regions and in every regard, the LAPT is going to put Latin America on the map as the newest hot-spot to play high-stakes championship poker."

Among the top players at LAPT Rio are Team PokerStars Pros Andre Akkari from Brazil, Humberto Brenes from Costa Rica and as well as Vanessa Rousso, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Victor Ramdin, Isabelle Mercier, Chad Brown and Gavin Griffin.

The tournament is being held at the Intercontinental Hotel, one of Rio's most luxurious venues located on Rio 's exclusive São Conrado beach.

"LAPT Rio is a truly prestigious event that, along with other LAPT stops, will bring Latin American poker into a new era - where many hidden poker talents have yet to be revealed," said LAPT Tournament Director Mike Ward. "The LAPT Rio will be a truly memorable poker experience for everyone."

The next two stops on the LAPT will be San Jose in Costa Rica from May 22-24. More than 140 players have already won a seat for this event online with PokerStars. Satellites for Costa Rica are running until May 11, 2008.

The third and final stop in Season 1 is Punta del Este in Uruguay from August 7-9. Click http://www.lapt.com for more information.

To follow all the action from LAPT Rio, visit the PokerStars blog at http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ and http://www.pokerstars.tv.